Bouygues Energies & Services appoints OnSite Pipelines to support Swaffham Prior Heat Network

The project will connect a village of around 300 homes in Cambridgeshire to a new, innovative renewable energy project incorporating air source and ground source heating solution.

OnSite, South Staffordshire Plc’s leading pipeline design, installation, repair and maintenance specialist, has been appointed by Bouygues Energies & Services, a global leader in energy, digital and industrial transformation, to support the delivery of a new air source and ground source community heating project at Swaffham Prior in East Cambridgeshire.

The village of around 300 homes, is to become one of the first villages in the UK to install a heating network into an existing community. Swaffham Prior isn’t currently connected to the gas grid and 70% of homes currently rely on burning oil for heating which is environmentally unsustainable and very expensive.

The OnSite Pipelines team will excavate and install approximately 1300m of PE pipework including 11 manifolds and PE loops to connect the borehole array to the energy centre and community homes, and then pressure test the system. This new project follows on from OnSite’s previous appointment by Eden Geothermal for supplying and installing a heat main that will supply heat from the in situ geothermal borehole to the facilities at Eden.

Miles Messenger, Energy Engineering Director at Bouygues Energies & Services said:

“This project showcases technical, commercial, and social innovations, which will contribute to the UK transition to net zero carbon. We’re delighted to have had an opportunity to collaborate with the OnSite Pipelines team, who have brought specialist heat main and pipeline expertise and capacity to help deliver this exciting project.”

Ady Brown, director of operations at OnSite Pipelines added:

“We are delighted to be working with Bouygues Energies & Services to support this innovative community project to deliver renewable energy to the local community. This is the latest appointment for our ground source heat division which offers a full turnkey service to clients from borehole drilling and maintenance through to the installation of interconnecting heat mains pipework and plant room mechanical and electrical works.”

This community heating system, which will contribute towards Cambridgeshire County Council’s ambition of reaching Net Zero carbon by 2045 for Cambridgeshire, preserving the local environment and reducing the impacts of climate change, is being supported and funded by The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Cambridgeshire County Council and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.